Sports Buzz

LeBron says Ibaka is "stupid"; Lots of notes from Tuesday Dolphins mini-camp

Note: This is updated from earlier in the day. See below for Dolphins notes from Tuesday afternoon.

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Dumbest remark of the playoffs so far? Had to be Thunder forward Serge Ibaka saying that LeBron James "is not a good defender." That's the same LeBron James who earned the most votes in balloting for the NBA's all-defensive team.

James responded Tuesday morning. "I don't really care what he says," LeBron said. "He's stupid. Everyone says something to me every series. Then [the media] keeps trying to get a quote. I don't care what he says. It's stupid."

Ibaka, per the Post, went on to the say that James "can play defense for two to three minutes but not 48.... LeBron can't play [Kevin Durant]" one-on-one.

Responded James: "First of all, I'm not playing 48 minutes and K.D.'s not playing 48 minutes. I'm not sitting there saying I'm a Durant stopper because there's no such thing."

Durant missed four of five shots when James was guarding him in the fourth quarter of Game 3. Durant was asked Monday what James did to him in the fourth quarter. "Nothing," he said. And the news conference ended thusly.

It will be interesting to see how Ibaka explains himself. Some backtracking is likely, or at least a scolding by Scott Brooks.

DOLPHINS PRACTICE NOTES

### Chad OchoCinco made three receptions at the first day of the Dolphins' three-day minicamp on Tuesday, including two terrific catches on the sideline, both from David Garrard. He jumped over Vontae Davis to make one of them.

"He's fast, he's quick, and he's got that attacking mentality you love in a wide receiver," Matt Moore said.

### He spoke to reporters less than two minutes afterward.  He said he wants to get "back to who we're all used to seeing and how I became what I am. I think I kind of lost that. For me, it's about getting back to basics, getting back to where it started. I'm looking to go back to Chad Johnson and just make it live again."

### OchoCinco said playing for the Dolphins "has been a childhood dream of mine growing up watching the Marks Brothers, watching Dan Marino. To be able to wear teal and orange, it's a pretty good feeling."

### He cracked, "I'm developing Brokeback Mountain chemistry with the players." He ended his session with reporters by saying: "I love you. Enjoy the show."

### Asked how OchoCinco is learning the playbook - which was a problem for him in New England - Joe Philbin said, "So far, so good." Philbin added: "It looks like he's fitting in well."

### David Garrard took the majority of the first team snaps but said he and Matt Moore are splitting them about evenly overall, with Ryan Tannehill receiving very few with the starters. Garrard looked the best of the three on Tuesday, which was also the case during the last practice open to the media, eight days ago.

### Garrard led a touchdown drive that ended with a rollout and strong throw to Roberto Wallace for a score. The offense was forced to punt on Matt Moore's final drive.

### Garrard's only glaring error was an interception to Sean Smith, who would have returned it for a touchdown if the play had been allowed to continue. Smith has been very impressive all offseason. "I like what I've seen from Sean," Philbin said. "His approach has been serious."

### Matt Moore also threw what would have been an interception return for a touchdown, to Karlos Dansby.

### Tannehill made some sharp passes - to tight end Les Brown, Marlon Moore, Wallace and others - but also threw a pick to Jason Trusnik.

### Jonathan Wade, competing for Nolan Carroll for the No. 4 cornerback job, made three terrific plays to break up potential receptions. And rookie Josh Kaddu, who couldn't join the team until this month because of his Oregon class schedule, looked sharp - including a would-be sack of Tannehill. (We say would-be because sacks aren't allowed.) Kaddu also knocked away a Tannehill pass over the middle.

### Wallace made several impressive catches, and Garrard raved about him afterward. Also, Philbin spoke very highly of receiver Legedu Naanee, noting "you like his size and ability and he can attack the middle of the field."

### Jonathan Martin, the second-rounder out of Stanford, got a lot of work with the first team at right tackle, with Artis Hicks at right guard. Lydon Murtha also got some first-team work at right tackle. And Martin got some snaps in relief of Jake Long at left tackle, which was Martin's position at Stanford.

### Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons remain the first-team safeties, backed up by Jimmy Wilson and Tyrone Culver. Free-agent pickup Tyrell Johnson continues to work with the third team.

### Rookie third-round tight end Michael Egnew, who was used a lot as a blocker in earlier practices, made two receptions across the middle, showing nice burst after the catch.

### Dan Carpenter kicked a 59-yard field goal but missed, to the left, from 57.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ITEM 

### Encouraging news for the Orange Bowl: College presidents are expected to approve a four-team playoff, with plans to be announced perhaps as early as this week, and ESPN reported Monday night that the decision-makers are leaning toward incorporating the semifinals within the current bowl system, meaning the Orange, Fiesta, Rose and Sugar would alternate as hosts. It's not definite by any means, but the OB certainly would take that scenario.

The national championship game is expected to be put up for bid, with Cowboy Stadium among the potential suitors. The new format would take effect with the 2014 season.

 

Lots of Heat-Thunder Game 3 postscripts, reaction

LeBron James was the better superstar in the fourth quarter of Game 3. James had eight points (2 for 4 shooting) and four rebounds in the fourth; Kevin Durant had four points (2 for 6 shooting) and one rebound.

“Last year, I didn’t make enough game-changing plans,” James said afterward. “I pride myself on that. Just trying to step up in the key moments and be there for my teammates.”

James closed with 29 points (11 for 23) and 14 rebounds. Durant had 25 points (11 for 19) and six rebounds. James' streak of five consecutive 30-plus point playoff games ended, but it didn't matter. He was very, very good. As usual. 

 "He's a totally different player" from last year's Finals, Dwyane Wade said. "He was thinking too much [last year]. Now he's playing very aggressive. I love when he's attacking the basket because good things happen for us. That's the difference from last year and the difference for our team."

“I try to do a little bit of everything, where I’m not just isolating,” James said. “It’s a good mixture of what I have right now.”

### Wade has said the team is still drawing on the experience of losing last year’s Finals. “We talk about it all the time,” James said. “It has been a great teacher for us, the experience.”

Said Wade: "Nothing is promised. You can't always say we have next year, because you never know what can happen. Last year, I don't know if we were experienced enough as a unit to deal with what came at us, and it showed. We're a more experienced team. It's not saying we want it more, but we understand the situations more and can deal with it better. Experience is not overrated at all. Tonight, that helped us. We were down 10 and kept grinding and grinding.

"We feel like every series, we've gotten better. We're not a satisfied team at all. It was an ugly game. We can't wait to look at the film to see where we can get better. We're more confident. We've seen almost everything, and we're able to adapt and adjust. Dallas was an unbelievable offensive team and they picked us apart and we weren't able to regroup. This team is a great offensive team and we feel like when they're picking us apart, our conversation is different. We understand a little different."

### Durant made 6 of his first 8 shots with James guarding him, but James obstructed Durant on two badly-missed 10-foot jumpers in the final 2:20. Durant shot 1 for 5 with James guarding him in the fourth. Durant also missed two free throws in the fourth. He was in foul trouble in the second half, picking up his fifth with 3:47 left. "Unfortunately, I'm getting some fouls called on me," Durant said. "I've got to play smarter the next game."

### According to ESPN, Durant shot 11 for 17 when Shane Battier defended him in the first two games of the series. But Battier guarded him only briefly in Game 3, with Durant missing his only shot during that time.

### The Heat won despite shooting 37.8 percent, the worst shooting percentage in a Finals win since the Lakers shot 32.5 percent in Game 7 of the 2010 series. It also was the second-lowest field goal percentage in a postseason game that the Heat has won in team history - better only than the 36.5 percent in an overtime win at New York in May 2000.

### Amazing: The Heat shot just 5 for 31 outside the paint. The 16.1 percentage is the worst by an NBA Finals team in 15 years, according to ESPN. The Heat shot 1 for 8 outside the paint in the third quarter and 1 for 7 in the fourth. James for 2 for 9 outside the pain and Wade and Chris Bosh were each 0 for 5. But Miami was 23 for 43 inside the paint.

### Wade matched Durant's 25 points - including 14 in the second half -  but missed 14 of 22 shots. He made several terrific passes (seven assists) but also had five turnovers. "I had some shots I normally make that I didn't make."

### The Heat went 31 for 35 from the line; the Thunder – which led the league in free throw percentage during the season – shot just 15 for 24.

“We’ve got to do a better job defending them without fouling,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “Kevin had five fouls on him, only four free throws. He has to be able to get to the free-throw line. That’s when we’re at our best.”

### Also key: Miami outrebounded OKC, 13-6, in the fourth.  Each team had 32 rebounds after three quarters. OKC has the bigger team, but the Heat has won the rebounding battle in the past two games.

“We don’t care about teams being bigger than us,” James said. “We don’t feel it’s a disadvantage.... It’s will and determination.”

### After Durant hit a turnaround over Wade in the first half, "He said [to me] I'm too small." Wade did a double-take and asked Durant what he said.  "He's got seven inches on me," Wade noted.

### The Thunder was ahead by six when Durant left with his fourth foul with 5:41 left in the third. Brooks then removed Russell Westbrook from the game 40 seconds left.

The Thunder lead grew to 10, but the Heat then ended the third with a 15-3 run – all with OKC’s two stars on the bench. “I knew we weren’t playing our game,” James said. “They made us stagnant. We didn’t play good to start the third. We can’t do that. It shows our character we were able to come back from that.”

It didn’t help that Serge Ibaka and Derek Fisher fouled Shane Battier and James Jones on three-point shots, which resulted in six free throws and fueled the Heat rally late in the third.

### Why would Brooks remove Westbrook from the game for five minutes with Durant also on the bench? “You’ve got to rest guys sooner or later,” Brooks said. Also, “Russell had a bad stretch of about three or four possessions. I took him out to kind of calm him down.”

### Game 3 marked the sixth time in these playoffs that the Heat has rallied from a double-digit deficit to win a playoff game.... The Heat is 12-0 this postseason when leading after three quarters and 50-5 including the regular season.... With nine more points, James will break Wade's team record for points in a postseason.

### Battier was limited to two shots but made both (both threes) and is now 11 for 15 on threes in The Finals. "It's kind of weird because I'm a stretch four [power forward] now and the most comfortable I have been on this team all year has been at that position giving up 50 pounds," Battier said. "I can't explain it."